September 14, 2016

I love you all!

I really do. I started blogging a whopping 7 years ago and although I may sometimes hope for more comments or occasionally get frustrated by spam, I have always found my particular corner of the internet to be a friendly and encouraging place. I think the same goes for the blogs I follow (certainly the sewings ones but also the few about history and the one rock climber's blog) and for the Facebook groups I am a member of (I've been a member of 'We Sew Retro Sew & Tell' right from the start and joined 'Learn How to Make Corsets Like a Pro' some months ago) as well. With that limited social media landscape, I could easily tell myself that the world wide web was not scary at all. Just a big playground where people from different places and walks of life can interact.Of course I'm not totally ignorant of the nastiness and negativity out there but in my experience, lifestyle related blogs, Facebook groups and Pinterest board were friendly places.I guess I kind of took that for granted.And then, at some moment last month, I watched the BBC 3 documentary "Clean Eating's Dirty Secrets". I started watching it mainly because I have been surprised more than once in the past years by the odd hype diets cropping up. Hypes which were sometimes even taken up by friends. The documentary follows a young blogger/vlogger who focusses on body positivity. A larger lady herself, she sets out to explore the world of "clean eating" blogs. What she uncovers is (spoiler alert!) mostly a deep pit of unsubstantiated health claims, dangerous food fads and a very negative, judgmental way of looking at women's bodies (mostly by women).I was a bit shocked by this. I kind of knew this stuff existed but the scale and the conviction still surprised me. I haven't really struggled with body image during the years I've been blogging and I am often aware of the fact that I am among the skinnier sewer bloggers. But I've had more troubled times too and of course I know it is an issue for lots of women. I used to alter wedding dresses for a living and I met lots of different women and encountered lots of different views on beauty and body shape. Most of them overly negative.I am very glad I was a teenager in an era before social media. I don't want to imagine what might have happened if I had had access to the kind of toxic "inspiration" offered by the kinds lifestyle blogs featured in this documentary. I feel sorry for those confronted with it now.

I like to think that we, people who sew and who talk about that somewhere on the internet, are helping in that regard. We love to talk about fitting but that's always about making the clothes fit and flatter the body of lady who will wear them. Sewing for yourself frees you from the size system dictated by the high street. Of course, patterns come in sizes too but us sewing people quickly learn just how arbitrary those are. Even more so if we decide to try out vintage patterns. Sewing also opens up the possibility of trying out styles which are not currently in fashion but may suit our bodies better. And, most of all, the online sewing community I know and love happily supports such efforts. No matter who you are, no matter what look you are going for.So, yes, I love all and let's keep up the good work!

I am also very glad I grew up before social media and I'm glad I don't read (or write) blogs related to foods; I try to avoid negativity whenever I can.I've been enjoying your blog for years now, and admire greatly your creativity, but comment rarely. I suspect if you look at your blog stats you'll see you have many 'lurkers' like me who keep returning for the great posts.

So true, I've never thought of our handmade wardrobes as freeing us from the sizing but you are absolutely right. I don't care what weight I am or my measurements, all I care about is making beautifully made clothes that fit MY body.

I too have followed yourb blog for quite a while, but don't comment often because of the app I use, but I really enjoy you sharing not just the great things you sew, but also your process. And your insghtful posts, like this one, are also very interesting. I have to agree with you, I used to follow some sewing/fashion/lifestyle bloggers who began to espouse questionable diets and eating regimens. I just stopped following, but I still have concern for all the people who might be more susceptible to such fallacies. Especially younger women--at one time, that definitely could have been me!

I started reading you blog years ago when I was really interested in sewing vintage. Now I am more interested in sewing to clothe myself everyday but I have kept reading your blog more than the other vintage sewing blogs. I like that deep down your a sewing nerd and that it's about working out puzzles to make beautiful things.

I find your blog interesting and full of information. Thank you to keep posting. I agree, people's view of body image is disturbing and all the 'info' flying around the web can be misleading. I'm very happy that I sew and knit for myself. I wear clothes that I like and actually am a little smug that my wardrobe looks different to everyone else.Please keep coming with your inspiration :-)

I didnt see that documentary you talk of, and probably just as well as I would be talking back to the tv - I work part time in a sports store and am constantly amazed by the food fads that my younger colleagues buy into, but then again, I have to remind myself that in your 20s you are trying to define your way of living - what bothers me mainly is the amount of protein powders - and any of the semi pro athletes I work with dont take them at all. I am now so glad I got 'back' into sewing as I think when you sew for yourself, you sew for your own body shape and figure it from there.

Great post. Social media is a great resource but can lead to a lot of negativity. I am concerned about my 11 year old daughter becoming obsessed with comparing herself to others or feeling pressured into looking a certain way. I have overheard her friend commenting that other kids should be sucking their stomachs in when posting photos of themselves online. It depresses me. Anyway I enjoy your blog.

What a thoughtful and insightful view. Many women of my generation have given up sewing for themselves because they are frustrated and embarrassed by their bodies. And I so agree that my corner of the select online world is generally so supportive and encouraging. What a shame that others can't use their energy in creative, constructive ways.

Well we love you too!! I pop in and out of blogland as time allows, so I'm often playing catch up on blogs. I enjoy your posts and look forward to seeing your project photos. They are an inspiration to me.

As far as the Clean Eating community goes, as with many things, there are good and bad aspects. Years ago I did the clean eating thing, and it really was beneficial to my health and food choices. Overall my experience was a positive one and many of the people on the board I frequented were very supportive. That being said, there were also a number of women who had translated CE into obsessive levels; the majority of which were recovering from some kind of eating disorder. While CE was helping to ensure they were getting the proper amount of nutrients, for those women, I got the impression that it was a transference of behavior patterns. I'll have to check out that documentary!

Congrats on 7 years! I'll be there next spring. 😱 The first online communities I was part of were bellydance related, and they were just as lovely as the sewing ones for the most part---it has definitely given me a rosie view of social media. ;) having two teenage girls growing up in the world of selfies is interesting, but I have to say hasn't been as terrible as a lot of people make it out to be. My kids go through the same struggle of balancing body image & self love against impossible beauty standards that we did, but I can't say so far that I think it's any worse. Mind you I promise neither of them are reading diet blogs. >_<